Trip Schedule - January 2019

A NOTE ABOUT SNOWSHOEING & CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: On the majority of weekends in recent winters we haven't had enough snow for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in local mountain areas (the winters of 2011 and 2015 were big exceptions), so we schedule day hikes for every Saturday & Sunday in January & February. Regular hikes will sometimes be changed to snowshoe hikes or cross-country ski trips whenever enough snow materializes for these activities.

In recent years the demand for snowshoe hikes has greatly increased among our members, and it’s dropped for cross-country ski trips -- so when there's enough snow, we’ll be scheduling snowshoe hikes on most weekends and probably an occasional cross-country ski trip. For those of you who are new to snowshoeing, go to the Snowshoeing page (there's nothing to learn, all you need is a pair of snowshoes to attach to your hiking boots).

​Always assume that we’ll be doing regular hikes, as scheduled, unless you hear otherwise. If you’re already signed up for a regular hike and the activity is changed, you’ll be given a choice of participating or taking a credit for a future hike. Please note that winter trip locations are always tentative and subject to change up to the last minute in the event of weather-related changes in trail conditions.

Date: 1/5 SAT

Location: CROSS RIVER - Ward Pound Ridge Reservation (New York).

Level: EASY HIKE (5 miles)

For many years we’ve offered a hike in beautiful 4,700-acre Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester’s largest park, and a few years ago introduced a second itinerary in the northern part of the reservation, which we’ll visit today. Located here is the lovely Cross River -- the size of a large mountain stream -- which we’ll hike alongside for a considerable distance, and we’ll explore the forest north of the river as well. It’s easy with occasional hills.

​Today we’ll be ascending several small mountains in the southwestern part of Harriman State Park, including Blauvelt Mountain and Parker Cabin Mountain, and also visiting beautiful Lake Skenonto. Some of the trails are extremely rocky, hilly, and occasionally steep, with many longer stretches that are on the easy side.

Date: 1/12 SAT

Location: LADENTOWN MOUNTAIN - Harriman State Park (New York).

Level: MODERATE HIKE (8-9 miles)

Our hiking itinerary today will take us through the southern part of Harriman State Park (about 40 miles northwest of New York City), featuring fine vistas from small mountaintops, beautiful mountain streams, and several lakes and reservoirs, including scenic Third Reservoir, where we'll have lunch. Most elevation changes are minor but there will be a few short, steep climbs over rocky trail.

Tiorati Brook is a large and beautiful mountain stream that runs through the north-central part of Harriman Park, just an hour northwest of NYC, and includes some little waterfalls. On today's mostly-easy hiking itinerary, with a few sizable hills, we'll explore some scenic forested trails and rest by the brook at two different locations.​

This hike in the northern part of NY’s Harriman Park is a shorter and somewhat easier version of the 10-mile moderate Stockbridge Mountain hike we’ve offered for many years (this year on 2/9). Today we’ll follow a loop that features vistas from the mountain, a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, and two beautiful (probably frozen) lakes: Lake Nawahunta and Silvermine Lake. Parts of the hike are easy, but some stretches of trail are rocky with lots of hills.​

​New York’s famous 1,284-foot Bear Mountain is an impressive one with striking features, and it offers spectacular vistas overlooking the Hudson River. We’ll start with a sometimes steep 1,300-foot climb of the mountain from the river, and after descending we’ll ascend nearby West Mountain. Total elevation gain and loss is well over 2,500 feet, and some of the trail is extremely rough and rocky. For experienced and especially fit hikers who are capable of maintaining a reasonably brisk pace (when appropriate).

Today we’ll be returning to the northwestern part of Harriman Park, traversing Fingerboard Mountain and several other small mountains, plus stopping for a lunch break at Island Pond. Elevation changes on this hike are relatively minor, but there are lots of short and occasionally steep ups and downs over rocky trail, and if conditions permit, we'll be climbing up through the rock crevasse known as the Lemon Squeezer.

​On this hike we’ll be back in the forested mountains of NY’s Harriman State Park -- visiting and lunching at Breakneck Pond, a scenic mountain lake that we’ll reach by following a mostly unmarked path, and we’ll be meandering around on the ridges of Cranberry Mountain. Most of the trails are easy and gently hilly except for one large, rocky, semi-steep hill at the beginning.​